🍰 Vintage Cake Recipe – Classic Elegance in Every Slice
This Vintage Cake is a nostalgic dessert that blends timeless flavor with beautiful old-fashioned decor. Featuring a soft, buttery vanilla sponge and rich buttercream frosting, it’s perfect for birthdays, tea parties, or any celebration where you want a touch of retro charm.
Equipment
- 2 (8-inch) round cake pans
- Mixing bowls
- electric mixer
- spatula
- Piping bags + star tips (for vintage piping)
- cooling rack
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
For the Buttercream Frosting:
- 1½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 –4 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- Gel food coloring pastels for vintage style
Instructions
Prep and Preheat:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line the cake pans.
Make the Cake Batter:
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Mix in vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with flour.
Bake:
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Make the Frosting:
- Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar gradually.
- Mix in vanilla and cream to desired consistency. Divide and tint with food coloring.
Decorate Vintage Style:
- Fill and frost the cake with a thin crumb coat. Chill briefly.
- Apply final coat and use piping bags to add vintage details—roses, shells, pearls, and ruffles.
Notes
For a moister cake, brush layers with simple syrup before frosting.
Want a chocolate version? Replace ½ cup of flour with cocoa powder.
Perfect for vintage tea parties, bridal showers, or classic birthdays.